


out of your system

by logictron



Category: Valor (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 11:37:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13833471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/logictron/pseuds/logictron
Summary: Adjusting to civilian life has its hurdles. Nora might need a little help.





	out of your system

**Author's Note:**

> For davidshawnsown on tumblr who requested some Gallani of the "going on a date" variety. Post-finale.

It takes about a month for things to settle down, for Nora to move off base, to adjust to not putting on a uniform every morning. She misses flying so much it hurts, and that morphs into nightmares resurfacing. Of course, thinking about the helo going down in Somalia invariably leads to thoughts of the shift in her relationship with Gallo. The bottom line is, Nora's barely sleeping, and it's making her more than a little irritable.

Thea hands her a coffee along with the morning debrief. They've become...something. Not friends, but amicable. It helps that they team up on Gallo every chance they get. But Nora gets the impression whatever happened between Thea and Gallo wasn't as clean-cut as Gallo likes to think. Thea isn't stepping on her toes, though, and Nora can appreciate that. They've never been catty, so she has to respect Thea. Plus, the other woman's entire world had basically been turned upside down. That she's still here, doing an admirable job of running an operation that has more than a few personal connections for her...Well, Nora wishes she was half as good at keeping her personal feelings in check.

"Trouble in paradise, Miss Madani?" The question is honest, Thea's not fishing. But Nora hates that she's so easy to read.

"Paradise is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" Nora sinks into her chair, eyeing the clock. Unsurprisingly, Gallo's still absent with two minutes to spare.

"Last I checked, I provided you with a suitable outlet for your...complicated relationship with Gallo. Might make it easier on everyone if you get it out of your system, that's all," Thea says, leaning against the edge of the desk rather than sitting, her arms folded over her chest.

"Like you did?" Nora instantly regrets her words and her face must show it because Thea just chuckles and shakes her head.

Gallo appears, then, sinking rather unceremoniously into the chair next to Nora.

"What'd I miss?" he asks, oblivious as per usual.

"Nothing," Nora says at the same time as Thea, though their tones are notably different.

"O--kay, then?" Gallo eyes them both cautiously, like he suddenly expects a fight.

"Now that you've joined us, let's get to work."

So they do.

**

Thea's words stick in her head, mostly because she already _got_ Gallo out of her system. That was the point of their little foray before Puntland, before getting Jimmy back. And God, Nora still thinks about that night. She thinks about it far more than she should. So it's not out of her system at all, and she has no fucking idea what to do about that. She's contemplating the options when her phone rings.

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay. You seemed a little tense today," he says. He always knows, somehow.

"I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping much, that's all." It's not a lie, at least.

"Civilian life a little rough?" Gallo asks, a tease if she wants it to be.

"Will you have dinner with me?" Those are not the words she means to say. Apparently lack of sleep takes away whatever verbal filter she might otherwise have.

"Dinner like...a date?" Gallo sounds confused by the suggestion and Nora doesn't blame him.

"I...yeah, I think so."

"You think so, huh?" Gallo chuckles. "Well then, I think I'd like to take you out tomorrow night."

"Okay," Nora says, despite her heart racing. "It's a date."

"Appears to be. G'night,Nora."

Out of her system. One date. That sounds reasonable. At least that's what she tries to tell herself. It doesn't work.

**

Despite the amount of things they have going on, work drags the next day. Nora can't focus on a damn thing. It doesn't help that Gallo's grinning at her every five minutes, or that Thea's watching her with an amused, satisfied smirk.

"I'll pick you up at 1900," Gallo says, when the day is finally, blissfully done. She manages to nod and then he's gone. Thea, though, is still at her desk.

"I'd say don't do anything I wouldn't do, but, uh..." Thea shrugs, still smirking. "Have fun."

Nora lets out a frustrated huff and packs up her things. She could be imagining it but she swears she hears Thea laughing under her breath as she walks out the door.

**

Gallo shows up at 6:55. He would be early for a date. Thankfully, Nora's been ready for the last hour. She's just been pacing her apartment and reflexively checking herself in the mirror every five minutes. Dinner for them isn't fancy. _They aren't fancy_. That was always Ian's thing. So Nora's in black skinny jeans and a white flowy top that cuts a little low but isn't anything Gallo hasn't seen her in before. He still stares when she opens the door.

"I, um...You look...amazing," he stammers, which shouldn't be so damn endearing but it is.

"You sure know how to flatter a girl," Nora murmurs, nudging his shoulder on her way past. "Come on, handsome. We've got a date."

**

They make it most of the way through dinner before Gallo calls her out, which is honestly more than she expects.

"What changed your mind? Don't tell me Thea talked you into it."

"She may have said something," Nora admits. "But only because I've been such a disaster. I'd say she's good at what she does but I don't exactly thing I've done a great job of hiding it."

"Not really. Figured if I gave you enough time, you'd come around on your own," Gallo says, flagging the waiter to get them another round of beer.

"You were so sure about that, huh?"

"Nah. Hopeful, mostly. I gave up trying to figure you out a long time ago. You're a wildcard, Madani. Kinda why I can't get enough of you," Gallo explains, his lips curling into his familiar, boyish grin. It makes her stomach flip.

"That makes one of us." Self-deprecation isn't her style, but lately, Nora just wishes her brain made any sense at all.

"I'm no shrink, I think we both know that. But you wanna know what I think?" Gallo asks as the waiter brings their drinks.

"Knock yourself out." Nora sits back with her fresh beer, already picking at the label.

"I think you're scared." Gallo pauses there, lets the words hang as he watches her. When she doesn't say anything, he continues. "See,you and me? Gotta figure we're a little alike,right? You gotta be at least half crazy to get in a helo knowing you're gonna get shot at. And crazier than that to get in one after it happens a time or ten."

"Doesn't really explain what I'd be scared of," Nora points out,fighting the urge to squirm under his appraisal.

"That's cuz you gotta let me finish." He sips his beer and she almost kicks him under the table just so he'll talk. "I told myself a long time ago that I wasn't cut out for feelings. I mean, I do friends, sure. I love my mom. I've dated plenty of really great, attractive women--" Nora doesn't quite quiet her snort at that and Gallo grins. "But beyond a physical attraction and...maybe an appreciation for decent company, the romance stuff was just a way to get hurt. And then there's you. Ruining all of that. And I'm not scared of much...but that? You? Yeah,that fucking terrifies me."

"Well," Nora starts after a beat. "That was a whole lot of talking about you."

Gallo laughs loud enough to draw the attention of several surrounding tables and Nora actually giggles, which makes no sense because he just tore through every defense she's ever built up around herself.

"But you're right. I'm scared. I play it safe. I found someone who loved me and I thought that was enough." The thought sobers her. "But maybe it's not."

"Maybe it's not."

"So...maybe we give this a shot," Nora decides, the idea freeing and terrifying all at once, but she feels like she can actually breathe, so there's that.

"You saying you want to be my girlfriend, Madani?" Gallo asks, leaning against the table's edge. His expression is almost identical to Thea's, smug. Nora does kick him this time.

"God knows why, but yeah, I think I am."

"I'm flattered," he chuckles. "And I accept."

Getting it out of her system is apparently a long term affair.

**

On Monday, she can practically feel the smug satisfaction radiating off of Thea.

"I assume you had a...productive weekend?" she asks.

Nora looks up at her, a sharp comment poised on the tip of her tongue, but there's something in Thea's eyes that stops her.

"You could say that," she allows instead, catching sight of something that looks suspiciously like a hickey under Thea's collar. "You?"

Thea clears her throat. "You're not the only one who had something to get out of their system."

Something clicks and Nora gasps dramatically, clutching her chest. "Zoe? Thought that was a one time thing."

"I could say the same about you, Miss Madani."

"Yeah," Nora agrees as Gallo joins them. "Guess so."

"Why do I always feel like I'm interrupting something?" he asks.

"Only in your wildest dreams," Thea volleys easily, dropping a folder into his lap.

Nora makes a mental note to buy Thea a drink. They both deserve it.


End file.
